2015-12-07
Emma Davidson
This November and December, Australians are expected to spend $46.7b in retail stores, according to the Australian Retailers Association, and we'll increase the amount of waste in rubbish bins by more than 30 percent during the Christmas season. That's a lot of environmental impact, excessive consumption, and possibly credit card debt. Here are some tips to help you make this holiday season more environmentally and financially sustainable, and ethically produced.
The Perfect Gift
Trying to think of just the right gift for someone? Perhaps the usual gift of a thing that can be wrapped in a box just isn't a good match for a recipient who is also difficult to put in a categorical box. Instead, try giving an experience — a gift voucher for something they perhaps might not have seen or done without your gift.
We're cutting it a bit fine for finding the time, but a handmade gift or thoughtfully selected second-hand (aka retro, vintage, antique) item makes for a memorable and unique present.
Gifts that are ethically produced (fair trade, and environmentally friendly) are easy to find with the help of Shop Ethical's new app for iOS devices or Android. They also print a pocket guide, perfectly sized to take with you on your quest to find something suitable at the mall. The guide covers environment and social impact, as well as treatment of animals and accountable business practice. It also has a section on electronics, including smartphones and smartwatches. There is something very meta about using a smartphone app to decide which smartphone to buy (tl;dr: Fairphone got the best rating).
For clothing that is ethically produced, Behind the Barcode provides helpful advice for choosing fashion or electronics that have been produced by workers who receive a fair wage and have safe working conditions.
Now that you've found all these lovely gifts, consider buying something to donate (no need to wrap it). Senators Sarah Hanson-Young and Janet Rice are collecting for a toy drive for children locked in immigration detention. There's also no shortage of local charities who accept donated toys — don't forget teenagers, who often appreciate gift vouchers or movie tickets.
Wrapping your gift can also be done with respect for the environment. There are plenty of YouTube videos on how to wrap origami-style, without the need for sticky tape, making the paper easier to re-use and showing off your expert folding skills. For those of us who are not naturally talented at paper folding, wrapping in a teatowel, decorated pillow case (which can also be a fun craft activity with kids), or simply using a nice cloth shopping bag, solves the problem of how to make a gift look special without creating more waste.
Decorating
Locally handmade decorations abound at craft markets around Australia at this time of year. If you can't get to the markets, try shops like Oxfam or visit a stockist of fair trade, eco-friendly decorations imported from around the world by Siham Craftlink.
Making your own decorations, or forcing your children into service to make them for you, can also result in unique and beautiful decorations that come with a smaller environmental and financial price tag. And if they've been made by kids, nobody is allowed to complain about how unprofessional and daggy they look!
Food
The amount of food waste produced during the holiday season is staggering. Australians spend around $10b on food at this time of year, but we throw more than 35% of it in the bin.
The first step to reducing this waste is planning. Make a list to avoid impulse buys when stocking up for festivities. Choose quantities that suit the number of people you actually expect at the event — a giant sized turkey is not only difficult to cook, it's more than a small family can eat at one meal.
Put out only what people are likely to consume, and refill bowls or serving platters as needed. This avoids wasting food that could have remained in a sealed packet if people don't end up eating as much as you catered for. If there are leftovers, put them in the fridge or freezer in sealed containers quickly to avoid deterioration (and food poisoning from eating leftovers).
If you do have unused food still in sealed packaging and within its use-by date, contact your local food rescue/food pantry service to donate it as soon as possible after Christmas.